Sama Uyghur Cuisine

Underappreciated and generally unknown, Uyghur cuisine from the Xinjiang region of China is hard to come by in most parts of the world.  It is the unique mesh of Chinese cuisine with Muslim influences (and some straight-up Central Asian dishes).  In Vancouver (where I'm from), we had essentially 2 places and now we are down to one (Beijiang Restaurant).  While I was down visiting my relatives in the East Bay (in particular Fremont), they suggested we hit up Sama Uyghur Cuisine.  They didn't have to ask twice since finding this cuisine is the equivalent to finding a unicorn.

We ended up getting all the greatest hits including the Lamb & Chicken Skewers.  These were really large with substantial chunks of meat.  They were spiced with the usual earthiness of cumin and spice of chili flakes.  Minor hints of nutmeg and garlic were present as well.  They were grilled enough that the flavors were activated while still keeping the meat moist and tender.  I particularly thought the lamb was good being just fatty enough.  The chicken was a little drier though.  As an appie of sorts, we got the Spicy Green Bean Jelly.  These soft and buttery "noodles" were topped with chickpeas, chili oil/sauce, chili peppers and cilantro as well as a soy-based sauce.  This was spicy, salty, aromatic with a touch of tang.   This was all about the delicate texture of the green bean jelly though.

Of course we couldn't do without the Big Plate Chicken with pieces of chicken leg, potatoes and peppers.  This went really well with rice where the sauce was full of cumin and just a touch of spice.  There are several different versions of the dish and this one included tomato.  We enjoyed the tender pieces of chicken and the equally delicate potatoes that soaked up the sauce.  Underneath, the house-made noodles were still chewy and also benefited from the sauce.  However, since they were served with the original dish, it started to get soft as we ate (usually should be served after we finished the ingredients).  Getting some veggies into our meal, we had the Stir-Fried Broccoli and although it was not a complicated dish, it was prepared well.  Lots of wok heat lead to caramelized flavours (garlicky) and crunchy broccoli without much moisture.

Since Uyghur cuisine is famous for the use of lamb, we also went for the Cumin Lamb.  This was also prepared properly with plenty of wok heat which ensured caramelization and activation of all aromatics.  Naturally, the earthy cumin came through in spades, but the lamb was definitely there too with its usual gaminess.  The pieces were tender enough without being dry.  The rest of the ingredients including the peppers were still vibrant and crunchy while cooked all-the-way through.  I also noticed the dish wasn't as greasy as some other versions I've had.  One dish I wasn't a huge fan of was the Dry Stir Fried Green Beans as the beans were a little old.  Hence, they were chewy and not crunchy.  Furthermore, the flavors were a bit weak too with only a minor amount of aromatics.

On the other hand, the Stir-Fried Noodles with Beef was the complete opposite exhibiting developed and activated flavours.  Obviously, the most important part was the hand-pulled noodles and they were indeed excellent.  Super chewy in an appealing manner, there was bite and elasticity.  After that, the preparation was flawless with caramelization in terms of color and taste.  Just a touch of spice, the dish had plenty of savory elements combined with a balancing amount of sweetness and umami.  Lots of complimentary ingredients as well.  For the other noodle we had, it was more saucy in the Fried Pearl Noodle.  At first, I couldn't even tell there was any noodle due to the amount of ingredients on top.  Again, the noodles were chewy and this time around, they were more mild as the sauce didn't adhere very much.  This was more about textures than impactful flavor.  So other than the green beans, the dishes we had at Sama were appealing and tasty.  Sure, Uyghur food is fairly obscure and sometimes it leads to over-excitement even if the food is mediocre.  I don't believe this was the case here as the food was solid on its own merit.

The Good:
- Impactful flavors
- Large portions
- Unique

The Bad:
- A little pricey

Bun Appétit Donuts

While finishing up our filling Japanese lunch at Satomi, it was suggested we check out Bun Appétit Donuts nearby.  We weren't overly familiar with the place, but once inside, we were amazed at the large selection of designer donuts.  Getting over the initial sticker shock ($3.50 - $5.00 per donut), we went about ordering a selection to go.  On that note, before anyone judges the pricing, one must have to actually eat the donuts first.  That we did where we discovered the quality and care that goes into every donut.

My daughter couldn't control herself and went straight for the Double Chocolate Donut.  After I was able to sample it too, it was obvious why.  Normally, cake donuts are dense and heavy, but not this one.  Similar to chiffon, the donut was light and airy.  Rather than being straight-up sweet, it was full of dark chocolate flavour.  On the bottom left, the Everything Donut was savory with cream cheese filling and tasted like the bagel, but in a donut!  The 3 filled donuts were Ube, Hazelnut Cream and Strawberry Cream.  Of the 3, I enjoyed the strawberry the most because of the fruitiness.  On the other hand, the hazelnut was aromatic, nutty and only purposefully sweet.  I didn't mind that one either.

The one donut that stuck out in my mind was the Peach as it was deceptively filled with jelly in the middle despite being ring-shaped.  As such, the entire thing was truly peach-flavored in every bite.  Combined with a delicate texture, this did not eat heavy.  Being a donut, it was naturally sweet, but not so much that it was overwhelming. Similarly, the Lemon Lavender was also filled in the middle.  As such, it was also a bigger donut in terms of diameter and thickness.  Again, it didn't eat heavy and despite being sweeter than the peach, it really wasn't overdoing it.  I usually do not like lavender in any of my desserts, but this was subtle enough to be appealing.  Just above the lemon lavender, there was the Guava Cheesecake.  Unmistakably guava tasting, the donut featured cream cheese in the middle and it really did have elements of cheesecake (especially with the graham crackers on top).  Nothing much to say about the Churro donut other than it had the classic cinnamon sugar as well as a dulce de leche drizzle.  The Rocky Road ate someone like a s'mores due to the toasted marshmallows on top.  Lastly, the Tiramisu was appealing with a creamy marscapone filling as well as a dusting of cocoa powder on top.

We tried 3 more filled donuts in the Kalamansi, Mango and Chocolate Cream.  Predictably, the kalamansi was the most flavorful of the 3 with an explosion of tang and sweetness.  Loved the silkiness of the custard cream.  Rich and purposefully sweet, the chocolate was solid.  I thought the mango was just as good as the kalamansi with impactful natural flavors.  If you remember the pricing of these donuts, the total cost of 15 donuts was around $70.00.  Was it worth it?  Like everything else, it comes down to subjectivity.  I loved the donuts and the cost was not really an issue.  However, for some the price maybe too steep.

The Good:
- Carefully crafted
- Unique
- Huge variety

The Bad:
- Expensive

Satomi Sushi

Naturally, when in the The Bay Area, there are many options for eats.  Staying within the East Bay has certain limitations, but we weren't interested in driving out to the city this time around.  We were mainly here to visit family and staying in Fremont was our plan.  So when we were deciding where to go for Japanese, everyone agreed on Satomi Sushi out on Thornton Ave.  Expectations were tempered as they all stated that it can't compare with San Francisco, but it is definitely solid for Fremont.  We were okay with that and made our merry way over.

We went a little aggressive with the menu and kicked things off with the Melting Albacore Tuna consisting of imitation crab meat topped with a thick slice of albacore tuna, flying fish roe and green onion.   Resting on a bed of shredded daikon, it appeared the tuna was drizzled with a soy vinaigrette of some sort.  The result was a fairly mild-tasting concoction with the butteriness of tuna on top of imitation crab (not sure why they advertised it as snow crab though).  Next up, we had the Tempura Combination consisting of ebi, sweet potato, golden squash, green bean, broccoli and carrot.  The batter was crunchy and fairly thin, but pretty greasy at the bottom of the pile.  They needed to drain the oil better before serving.

Off to a couple of rolls, we had the Gangsta Roll consisting of hamachi and cucumber on the inside with salmon and fresh water eel on the outside.  We picked this one since it was one of the few that did not feature a California roll as the base.  As such, there was more brightness and the taste of the sea from the hamachi and salmon.  Since the eel was only on alternating pieces, we couldn't get the taste of every ingredient together much.  Unique and impressive-looking, the Victoria Secret Roll sported spicy tuna and cucumber with deep fried sea bass and spicy scallop on top.  Predictably, the roll had more impact due to the spice, but it wasn't over the top.  The fried bass on top added a very light crunch and body while the buttery scallops added another layer of texture.

Now those rolls were good, but nothing compared to the Greg Roll.  It was a monstrosity where the base roll was an oversized California roll topped with a ridiculous amount of wakame mixed with various chunks of sashimi.  One person would have a hard time finishing this.  As big as this was, it wasn't a complicated creation.  In fact, it was pretty darn simple.  As such, think of it as a large Cali roll with the crunch from the wakame and tangy sesame flavor that goes with it.  At first, we were planning to put in 2 orders of the Gyoza, but upon realizing it was fried, we only got one.  Reason being is that we aren't huge fans of the fried version.  With that being said, these were fine with a crunchy exterior giving way to moist tender pork and cabbage.  Loved that they supplied us with enough sweet vinegary soy dip to dunk them into.

Since everyone wanted raw fish, we got the $60.00 Chef's Sashimi that sported 50 pieces.  It included bonito, salmon, hamachi, albacore tuna, bluefin tuna, striped sea bass and escolar.   Beyond the portion size and good value of the plate, the fish was actually quite good.  As evidenced in the picture, there was a nice sheen and good color.  There was a escolar on the plate and my personal preference would to have something else, but it is okay to be eaten in small quantities.  I particularly liked the hamachi as it buttery and sweet.  It didn't end there as we also got a selection of Nigiri with tamago, unagi, hotate, salmon, hamachi and striped sea bass.  Again, the fish quality was good and everything ate well.  The rice was a little on the drier side but was chewy.

For our cooked items, we got the Chicken Teriyaki and Tonkatsu.  Wow, these were very large in portion size.  If we had known, we wouldn't have ordered both of them.  Unlike the version where the chicken is fried then topped with sweet thick sauce, this was fried up where it was marinated and placed on a hot cast iron plate.  Hence, it ate drier and less sweet.  As for the tonkatsu, it was crunchy while sufficiently tender inside despite being lean.  We loved how they supplied us with plenty of tonkatsu sauce on the side.  So as mentioned in the intro, my expectations were not very high considering Satomi is essentially a neighbourhood sushi joint.  However, it not only succeeds in that respect, I believe that the food is even a notch above that while providing good value at the same time.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Solid eats
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Gets quite busy and finding a table is difficult
- Still not too sure about the escolar

BK's Bistro

To be honest, I really didn't have a whole lot planned in terms of food for my 2 days in Fremont.  It was mainly just to visit with relatives and hang out.  But I did have one request - to have Dim Sum at BK's Bistro.  Why?  Well, first of all, I didn't want to go to Mayflower for the 10th time and second, I needed to load up on Chinese food before the next part of the road trip.  However, I did have some lined up for LA...  Whatever the case, I wanted Chinese comfort food before all of the roadside diners I would encounter later.

We couldn't get anymore comforting than some congee, so we started with the Sliced Chicken Congee.  Now as you can see, congee isn't the sexiest thing to take pictures of.  If you put white-on-white, it just looks washed out.  Pictures aside, the congee was solid though albeit not as thick as I would've liked.  Despite this, there was still good viscosity and proper seasoning.  The chicken plentiful and tender.  A solid start to the meal.  Next, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was pretty good as well.  Sporting a medium-thick rice noodle, the roll didn't eat as dense as it appeared.  The noodle was soft with some elasticity.  Inside, the large whole shrimp were meaty with a sweet snap.  There was plenty of sesame oil in the marinade for the shrimp.

The same thing could be said about the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) as the filling consisted of whole shrimp.  I had 2 of them and neither had smaller chunks of shrimp, they were all whole.  In fact, there was very little shrimp mousse binding the filling together (which made it rather loose).  Again, the sesame oil really came through.  It could be a bit strong for some people, but I enjoyed it.  One thing that could've been better was the dumpling wrapper as most of them were ripped.  That was due to the fact they were soft and too wet.  As for the Siu Mai (Shrimp & Pork Dumplings), they were well-executed.  Also a bit loose, the filling consisted of bouncy chunks of pork and whole shrimp.  There was a minor porkiness to it combined with the sweetness of the marinade.

Normally, I go on and on about Xiao Long Bao not being very good at Cantonese restaurants.  That is usually true because they do not specialize in this dish, but the ones here were decent.  Although the dumpling skin was on the thicker side, it was still delicate enough to not be overly doughy.  Inside, there was actually a good amount of soup, albeit too sweet and one note.  The pork filling was crumbly and loose, but tender.  Either it is a Bay Area thing or they do it differently at BK's, the XO Daikon Cake was a greasy mess.  Normally, I find the daikon cake cubed and deep fried, then tossed in XO sauce.  Here, it was panfried haphazardly and then doused with XO sauce (too much of the oil).  This was tasty with tender daikon cake and briny XO, but far too oily.

One of the stranger dishes was the Mango Shrimp Spring Roll.  Not only was there mango in the roll itself, the wrapper was much thinner and not as crispy as the typical spring roll wrapper.  Texturally, that wasn't all that appealing.  Inside, the theme of whole shrimp continued with an excellent filling.  It had much less sesame oil, which was a good thing (due to the addition of mango), yet at the same time had a bouncy texture.  We thought the mango was too sweet and totally dominated the flavour profile.  For the kiddies, they wanted the Steamed Spareribs with Rice Noodle.  Good choice as the spareribs were tender and well-seasoned.  They retained a meatiness and there was plenty of garlic.  However, it looked like they merely plopped on top an order of spareribs (in the shape of the original plate).

The kids also wanted the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice wrapped in lotus leaves) and of course we ordered it.  It came as 2 medium-sized portions cut in half by scissors.  Inside, the sticky rice was a little on the drier side, but that didn't make or break the dish.  In fact, the equal amount of ground pork filling helped add the necessary moisture and flavoring for the dish.  To get some veggies into our diets, we ordered the Stir-Fried Water Spinach with fermented tofu.  This was expertly prepared where the wok hei was strong enough to cook the vegetable through without softening up the hollow stalks.  This also helped produce aroma from the fermented tofu, garlic and peppers.  The result was a texturally pleasing dish with the right amount of seasoning.

Onto 2 similarly shaped items, we were served the Wu Gock (Deep Fried Taro Dumplings) and Ham Siu Gock (Deep Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings).   Sporting a relatively thin layer of mashed taro, the wu gock were not oily and plenty crispy.  Inside, the filling consisted of ground pork, shiitake and cilantro.  I thought it was probably a bit too saucy as it was spilling out.  The pork was tender and not overly fatty, but I wasn't sure cilantro was needed here as it was overwhelming.  The same filling was found in the ham siu gock and yes the same issues existed.  I did like the glutinous rice flour shell as it was semi-thick and sticky with a crunchy exterior.  It also wasn't too greasy.

Two more solid dishes arrived next in the Phoenix Talons (Steamed Chicken Feet) and Bean Curd Skin Rolls.  Cut lengthwise, the chicken feet were done just right.  I found that the deep fry was aggressive enough to create a certain chewiness on the exterior that gave way to tender skin and cartilage underneath.  There was more than enough seasoning to create an impact being sweet and garlicky.  I also thought the deep fry on the bean curd skin to be perfect as the colour and texture were on point.  The chewiness of the skin was a nice balance to the tender and bouncy pieces of pork.  Unlike some versions, there was just enough starch-thickened watered-down oyster sauce.

Ending things off, we had the BBQ Pork Buns and some more Baked BBQ Pork Buns to go.  Soft and fluffy with just the slightest chewiness on the exterior, the BBQ pork buns sported plenty of filling.  The sliced BBQ pork was mostly lean while sauced in a sweet and sticky glaze.  As for the baked buns, it sported a sweet sugary topping that was delicately crispy.  The bun itself could've been lighter and airy though.  Inside, the filling was the same as the steamed buns.  Overall, the dim sum at BK's Bistro was solid and in my opinion, better than the Mayflower.  Of course this is subjective, but at the very least, it was a good injection of Cantonese comfort food before all of the burgers and sandwiches we were to consume in the next 2 weeks.

The Good:
- Solid dim sum
- Okay service
- Good selection

The Bad:
- Limited seating, busy during peak times
- Some items were definitely better than others

Bravas Bar de Tapas

So making the journey from Crescent City to Fremont wasn't exactly the shortest drive we could've planned.  Furthermore, taking detours to see the giant redwoods made for even a longer day.  However, with no reason to add another stop to our already long road trip, we had to do what we had to do.  Our original plan was to stop in Berkeley for some dinner before the short jaunt over to Fremont (where my cousins live).  That changed suddenly when we exited in Healdsburg to use the washroom.  This ended up with a visit to Bravas Bar de Tapas for dinner!

After ordering some sangrias (only for the adults!), we got down to the food starting with the Patatas Bravas with spicy tomato sauce and aioli.  Consisting of medium-sized chunks of fried potatoes, this was a nice start to the meal.  Viv thought the potatoes were fried too much, but I didn't mind them as they sported a firmly crunchy exterior.  Although, I did agree with her that the potatoes as a whole were too dense.  The aioli was creamy and garlicky while the tomato sauce was rather sweet.  The kids really loved the Creamy Chicken Croquetas as they were lightly crispy on the outside.  Inside, the filling was indeed creamy with small pieces of ham.  The combination of the ham and gruyere cheese made this robust and bordering on salty.

One of the more surprising dishes was the Fried Eggplant Chips with truffle honey and rosemary.  They didn't resemble a vegetable in anyway.  So much so, the kids thought they were pretty good!  Evenly crispy with very little eggplant texture, these did live up to the "chip" in its description.  Due to the honey, the chips ate rather sweet with the earthiness of truffle and woodsiness of the rosemary.  Another vegetable that we ordered was the Asparagus with black garlic aioli, crispy jamon and preserved lemon.  Sometimes, veggies don't get enough appreciation but these were very good.  Charred with a smokiness while still not overdone, the asparagus were well-seasoned.  The earthiness from the black garlic and saltiness of the jamon packed a punch.  Bitterness of the preserved lemon rind provided good balance.

Served as little sandwiches (Bocadillos), the duck meatballs were fantastic.  They were large and meaty without being dense nor dry.  We enjoyed how they were almost crumbly without falling apart.  The duck gaminess really came through in an appealing manner which was aided by the lightly sweet tomato sofrito with onions.  To brighten things up, there was a green olive tapenade as well.  Staying with the meats, we had the Skirt Steak with valdeon cheese butter, smashed fingerlings, red onion marmalade and mustard seed.  Prepared medium-rare (but closer to rare), the steak was beautifully tender.  It was rested properly where the juices stayed within.  Loved the sharp aromatics of the blue cheese as it soaked into the tender potatoes.

One of my favorite items was the Octopus with fingerlings, smoked paprika and olives.  The large tentacle couldn't have been anymore tender while still maintaining a pleasant bite.  It was nicely charred and well-seasoned.  However, the smokiness and earthiness of the paprika really came through.  The charred lemon on the side really brought things to life with a smoky brightness.  We ended off with the Original BFC Fried Chicken with DC mumbo sauce, garlic toast and kale, manchego and fennel salad.  The fried half chicken was firmly crunchy (although the batter was a bit dry) with moist meat inside.  Combined with the sauce, it almost ate like Korean fried chicken.  Interestingly, the best part was the baby kale salad as it was dressed with lime and boasted a bevy of cheese.  Overall, Bravas Bar was a surprise as we randomly chose it as our dinner destination after we exited the highway to find a washroom.  Food was good and service was attentive.

The Good:
- Generally solid eats
- Fair pricing
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Fried chicken was good but the batter was dry and a touch mealy

Log Cabin Diner

Convenience is often not a consideration when it comes to foodies.  You know, will travel far and wide for food regardless of the distance and cost.  Well, that is not really practical when on a road trip.  This is especially true when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere.  When we had just finished visiting the Trees of Mystery, there weren't a whole lot of choices for eats nearby.  We definitely didn't want to do the tourist trap across the street, so we drove a bit further down the road to Log Cabin Diner.  This little unassuming spot doesn't serve up gourmet eats, but that didn't matter to us.  We just needed solid eats for the road.

Simple and inexpensive, the menu provided the basics including my Bacon Cheeseburger made with a 1/3 lb beef patty, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and mayo.  For what it was worth, the burger was solid.  The beef patty was cooked just enough where it wasn't dry while sporting a caramelized sear.  All of the ingredients were super fresh and the bacon was crispy.  I found the bun to be appealingly firm that it held everything together.  On the side, the krinkle cut fries were fried up golden and crispy.  My son's Ham and Cheese Melt was equally well-prepared.  The sourdough bread was cooked on the flattop until golden brown and crunchy.  Inside, there was plenty of melty cheese as well as seared slices of ham.  That was important as it reduced the amount of moisture and also caramelized the ham.

For Viv, she went for the Toasted Club with bacon, ham, turkey, Swiss, lettuce, tomato and mayo.  Again, this wasn't a complex food item, but they constructed it with care.  The bread was toasted just right as it held up the the wet ingredients.  There was more than enough for impact and the produce was fresh.  Even the side salad sported supremely fresh veggies (there was more sandwich on the plate, I removed it to put the salad on it).  My daughter wasn't really all that hungry and ended up with a bowl of Chicken Rice Soup.  It was rather thick and ate like a gumbo more than a soup.  No matter, it was flavourful with plenty of rice and tender chicken.  As you can see, the food at Log Cabin Diner was pretty basic.  However, it was good for what it was.  Combine this with super friendly people and reasonable prices, this makes for a great stop for anyone in the area needed food. 

The Good:
- Cheap
- Simple but well-prepared eats
- Super friendly people, they let us feed the emus out back!

The Bad:
- That wasn't a soup...